Drop Some power stones! If you like the chapter! It helps to keep me motivated to upload more!đź’Žđź’Žđź’ŽÂ
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Nighttime, somewhere in the first half of the Grand Line—
A massive ship shaped like a flamingo glided smoothly across the dark, silent sea.
It was the Numancia Flamingo, the flagship of the Donquixote Pirates.
Inside the captain's quarters, Donquixote Doflamingo's unmistakable, sinister laugh echoed through the room. He seemed genuinely pleased about something, though Trebol, one of the top executives of the crew and Doflamingo's closest confidant, couldn't for the life of him understand why.
Trebol had been present earlier when Doflamingo spoke with the ruling powers of Drum Kingdom. The outcome of that conversation was clear: they had decided to delay the plan to annihilate the Akio Gang, completely scrapping the original timetable for their offensive.
As someone who had been by Doflamingo's side for years, Trebol knew better than anyone how much time, effort, and influence Doflamingo had invested into the plan to crush the Akio Gang. Now, with everything prepared and the plan nearly ready to execute, it was all being thrown away. It felt like every ounce of effort they had put in was being wasted.
And yet, Doflamingo wasn't angry in the slightest. He was thrilled—a reaction Trebol's simple mind just couldn't comprehend.
Despite his confusion, Trebol kept his questions to himself. What mattered most to him was Doflamingo's mood. As long as the man he followed—the man he saw as a born king—was happy, nothing else was important. All Trebol needed to do was carry out his captain's will.
But Doflamingo wasn't oblivious to Trebol's confusion. He stopped laughing, a smirk still curling his lips, and asked,
"Trebol… do you know why I'm so happy?"
Having followed Doflamingo for so long, Trebol recognized that tone—his captain was about to share the reason for his amusement.
Trebol immediately played along, shuffling closer with a grotesque grin and asking eagerly, "What is it? What is it? I'm dying to know!"
"Too close. Too close."
As the mucus-dripping Trebol leaned in, Doflamingo's grin vanished. Fighting back disgust, he spoke in a low voice.
Trebol obediently backed up a few steps, keeping a more respectful distance, but continued to press, "What is it? What is it, Doffy? Come on, tell me! I really want to know!"
Doflamingo leaned back in his chair, his grin returning—twisted and manic this time.
"Because the port of Villia is about to bear an even sweeter, juicier fruit."
"Those fools think delaying their war against the Akio Gang buys them time. But what they're really doing is giving us an opportunity. After what happened yesterday and today, the Akio Gang is bound to be on alert. That means those fools will find it much harder to strike next time.
"Remember, they're up against former core members of the Flying Pirates. Akio and Reggie once crossed blades with both Shiki the Golden Lion and Gol D. Roger's crew—and they were among the few who lived to tell the tale. Their era may have passed, and they may not be at their peak anymore, but they're still dangerous. Once they're on guard, you won't kill them without a bloody, drawn-out fight.
"The longer both sides prepare, the more devastating the clash will be—and the weaker Villia's defenses will become when it's over.
"And that's when we strike. We'll seize the vast wealth of Villia Port—a glittering gem that blocks the advance of the Great Pirate Era. Just thinking about destroying it, accelerating the march of the new age… makes me tremble with excitement. Fuffuffuffu…"
Now understanding the reason behind Doflamingo's laughter, Trebol's face lit up with realization, and soon he was cackling as well.
Then, an idea slithered into his mind.
"Hey, Doffy," Trebol croaked. "What if we secretly sell a Devil Fruit to the Akio Gang? We could make a fortune and fan the flames of their conflict even more. If we leak a little information, they'll tear each other apart over it!"
His face twisted into a vile grin at the thought.
Trebol knew full well about the existence of a Devil Fruit in the Donquixote Auction House in Villia Port—after all, it was a deadly lure Doflamingo had prepared to draw out the city's enormous wealth.
And from Doflamingo's earlier words, Trebol had already pieced together the truth: whether sooner or later, the Akio Gang was doomed.
But the gang had been rooted in Villia Port for years, and their accumulated wealth must be staggering. If they were desperate enough—which they surely were now—they would pay any price to boost their fighting power.
Doflamingo glanced at Trebol with mild surprise. The sticky man was not usually one for clever schemes, and this was a surprisingly sharp suggestion.
But Doflamingo only shook his head and smiled.
"Not yet, Trebol. Besides, Devil Fruits are far too valuable. The Akio Gang alone could never afford one—not unless they paid with all of Villia Port's wealth."
Trebol's reasoning wasn't wrong. The Akio Gang was like a beast cornered and desperate—willing to pay any price for a chance to survive. If Doflamingo offered them a Devil Fruit, they'd surely meet his price.
But that same beast would still be dangerous. Once it devoured a Devil Fruit, who knew what form it might take?
Uncertainty—that was the one thing Doflamingo despised in any plan.
The thought had crossed his mind, too: sell them the fruit, profit handsomely, and throw the city into even deeper chaos. But in the end, he rejected the idea.
His real goal was the destruction of Villia Port, the stone that blocked the path of the Great Pirate Era. Better yet, he wanted to see the Drum Kingdom itself crumble. That "nation of medicine" supplied the World Government and the Marines with endless streams of medical resources—like a doctor desperately patching up a world already riddled with wounds. Doflamingo loathed it.
If the Akio Gang obtained a Devil Fruit and somehow stabilized the fragile balance he was trying to shatter, it would ruin everything. The odds might be low—but he wouldn't risk it.
Once Villia Port—the Drum Kingdom's largest port city—was reduced to ruins, and the gangs within were crippled from infighting, the kingdom's carefully built defense network would collapse.
Then, pirates would rampage unchecked through the "land of medicine," and the Great Pirate Era would surge forward even faster.
Besides, Doflamingo never truly intended to sell such precious treasures as Devil Fruits. He saw them only as powder kegs—meant to ignite conflict, not enrich his enemies.
Once the gangs were weakened from tearing each other apart, Villia Port's wealth would fall right into his hands. There was no need to waste a Devil Fruit. Such treasures were meant only for his family.
"Wait a little longer… just a little longer. Fuffuffuffu…"
As he spoke, Doflamingo gazed out the window. The once-calm sea had turned turbulent under the sudden arrival of a storm, and his laughter rose above the howling wind.
Meanwhile, just outside the captain's quarters, a man dressed in a black coat painted like a clown slipped away silently into the night—like a ghost disappearing into the darkness.
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